Taita Taveta suppliers trained on new digital procurement system

Business people in Taita Taveta County are being trained on the Electronic Government Procurement (E-GP) System in a move aimed at modernizing public procurement and improving transparency, efficiency and fairness in the awarding of government tenders.

The two-day training, which is taking place at Taita Taveta National Polytechnic in Voi, has brought together suppliers and contractors from across the county to build their capacity on the use of the new digital platform.

More than 60 suppliers were trained on the first day, with organizers indicating that about 350 suppliers are expected to benefit from the exercise by the end of the program.

The E-GP system is a web-based platform developed to digitise and simplify the full public procurement cycle. It supports end-to-end electronic procurement, from supplier registration and planning to tendering, contract administration and invoicing.

The system promotes transparency by making procurement information openly accessible to all stakeholders, offers real-time monitoring and reporting, cuts down paperwork and related costs, and guarantees a level playing field for suppliers through fair and competitive processes. It is also linked with other government systems to enable effective verification and validation of supplier data.

Patrick Munene, the team leader for the Kenya National Chambers of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI) in Taita Taveta County, said the training was meant to guide suppliers through every stage of the procurement process under the new system.

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He explained that participants were being taken through how to register on the platform, respond to tender documents, submit bills and invoices, and follow up on payments.

“We are here so that any supplier who has not been approved can be approved and for those who have not registered we help them so that they can also register,” said Munene.

Munene noted that suppliers are now required to be registered on both IFMIS and the E-GP system in order to do business with the government. He said the shift marks a significant change from previous arrangements where suppliers relied mainly on IFMIS.

“Whoever wants to do business with the government must register afresh. If you are outside the E-GP, you cannot do business with the government,” he said.

He added that one of the key strengths of the E-GP system is its transparency. According to Munene, once tenders are opened, suppliers can easily see who has been awarded contracts, the value of those contracts and which suppliers have benefited in a particular county, all through the online portal.

Munene further explained that the E-GP system was introduced to address gaps in earlier platforms noting, “At the beginning, IFMIS was not for procurement. E-GP is now about procurement right from stage A to the last stage which is end-to-end.”

He also pointed out that unlike the previous system, which required both physical paperwork and online submissions, the E-GP platform is fully digital, significantly reducing paperwork and easing the workload for suppliers and procurement officers.

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Andrew Mwamburi, the Chair of KNCCI Taita Taveta Chapter, said the training was organized in partnership with the National Treasury and Economic Planning to ensure that business people are well informed about the new procurement framework.

He said the procurement process has evolved over time, from manual paper-based systems to IFMIS, which still involved both physical and electronic forms, and now to the fully online E-GP system.

Mwamburi highlighted the convenience of the new platform, noting that suppliers can apply for tenders from anywhere in the country without having to travel physically to the procuring entity.

“Advantage of this new system is that you can apply the job anywhere in the country without physically going to where the job is,” he said.

He added that this would greatly reduce the costs previously incurred by suppliers, such as travel and printing expenses, making it easier for small and medium enterprises to participate in government tenders.

Mwamburi also said the system would help curb corruption in public procurement highlighting that under paper-based systems, collusion and manipulation were easier due to human interference.

“Through this system which has various stages of application, it is very hard for corruption to take place because approval is done in different stages as one progresses in application of tenders,” he said.

Zablon Mwanyumba, a supplier and contractor from Taita Taveta County, said the training had given hope to many business people who have struggled under previous systems. He urged the government to ensure it works as promised.

“We have already suffered with IFMIS. Pending bills are there and we urged the government that through E-GP, suppliers should not continue to suffer and if what we are being told will be upheld, there will be seamless operations and suppliers and contractors will begin to enjoy,” said Mwanyumba.

By Michael Oduor

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